Acer keeps losing DNS-server details

[satelliteuser083 0]

My wife's Acer, running 2007, keeps losing the DNS-server details on boot (maybe at other times also, but I haven't noticed this yet). This means that, although the network-icon says that the network is UP, the latter is actually DOWN - or, at least, no internet connection is possible. I can't understand this; my Thinkpad, using the same OS, works perfectly in this respect, and I'm pretty sure that I set up the LAN in the same way on both machines.

Does anyone know of a solution to this problem? It occurred to me that it might be possible to put some commands in /etc/rc.local, but I'd need further help there, if it were. Thanks.

 

 

[moved from Software by spinynorman]

[ianw1974 11]

How is the machine getting it's IP address? Is it getting it via DHCP? Is the DHCP server also giving the DNS address as well? Or not?

 

What filesystem is the laptop using? If ext3, you can run the chattr command on the /etc/resolv.conf file to stop any changes being made to it. Then, your DNS entries will remain. I have a feeling something is changing it, and it's obviously happening at boot up. Once we understand the network config a little more, we can find out why and fix it.

[{BBI}Nexus{BBI} 2]

I have the same problem with PClinuxOS when I use a fixed ip. It used to work fine, then all of a sudden it started losing the dns settings. I switched back to auto and it's been fine so far.

 

@ianw1974: Can you elaborate on using the chattr command please?

Edited June 18, 2008 by {BBI}Nexus{BBI}

[ianw1974 11]

For ext2/ext3 filesystems:

 

chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf

 

will lock the file so that it doesn't get overwritten by some other process. I'd usually try to find the process that was doing it. In Mandriva 2008 there was some comments in the /etc/resolv.conf telling you not to edit anything there, because a service would change and reset it again. This was because of a package called resolvconf, and therefore just simple to remove this package to stop it from happening.

 

Although, I'm unsure if this is the same case here. I'd only lock the file last as a last resort to finding what was doing it.

[{BBI}Nexus{BBI} 2]

Thanks :)

[ianw1974 11]

No probs

[satelliteuser083 0]

I've had to use 'static' for the IP address, because no IP can be detected when DHCP is set. I'm currently in central Italy, where our broadband is provided by a somewhat unreliable and slow radio-link (ADSL, I think), which may account for the DCHP problem but shouldn't have anything to do with the DNS-server loss (or perhaps that's wrong :unsure: ).

Anyway, I've tried your 'chattr -i /etc/resolv.conf' suggestion, but it didn't work; the file was overwritten at the next boot. The filesystem is ext3, BTW.

 

PS: man chattr states

A file with the ‘i' attribute cannot be modified: it cannot be deleted or renamed, no link can be created to this file and no data can be written to the file. Only the superuser or a process possessing the CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE capability can set or clear this attribute.

; perhaps that's the cause of the overwrite??

[ianw1974 11]

If you are using DHCP, then it would overwrite /etc/resolv.conf.

 

What desktop are you using? Gnome? KDE? Do you have NetworkManager packages installed for Gnome/KDE? If so, this will explain your problem even if you have configured static IP. I had the same problem with NetworkManager installed.

 

rpm -qa | grep -i networkman

 

and see what results come back? If not, then there must be something else with your network config screwing up the /etc/resolv.conf file.

[satelliteuser083 0]

A bit of crossover there :mellow: .

 

I'm using kde and a search revealed that networkman is NOT installed.

[scarecrow 0]

There is not much one can do with several Italian ISP's (and FastWeb in particular). You will never have a proper IP, and the DNS server will be lost now and then. Maybe try using some other DNS server, e.g. OpenDNS, but this will not cure the issue 100%.

It's the way their networks in the big cities are constructed.

[ianw1974 11]

Perhaps I wrote it wrong,

 

chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf

 

my first one took the attribute off as I used a - minus, therefore try with the + to activate it. I've amended my above post, so this one now becomes irrelevant!! :D

[satelliteuser083 0]

Thanks for the info, scarecrow, I've suspected for some time that this network operates differently to my British one; just have to live with fallouts, I suppose.

Many thanks, Ian, for the correction (should have seen it myself :unsure: ); have now booted/restarted the system 5 times and, joy oh joy, the network now comes up correctly each time. Great !! Just hope that it stays that way.

 

:thumbs:

[ffi 0]

on 2008.1 there is a bug, don't know about 2007.1 though, with some cards and dhcpclient, maybe try another dhcp client (dhcp pump or dhcppcd) look under the network options for the network device....